Fake Certificates Lead to Prison Sentence
Building firm boss jailed over fake certificates
A property developer is jailed for using fake certificates for a Newmarket residential development following a prosecution brought by Suffolk Trading Standards.
A building company director who falsified building work completion certificates during the sale of flats in a development in Newmarket has been jailed for more than three years.
Wayne Murfet, who was boss of Lors Homes, supplied 36 fake Building Control Completion Certificates to purchasers of flats on a complex called The Grosvenor in Newmarket High Street.
Following a case brought by Suffolk Trading Standards, Murfet was jailed today (Tuesday October 1) at a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court for a total of three and a half years.
Sentencing, Recorder Emma Nash said that she took into account his previous good character and the impact on his family of custody, but she considered the fact that the purchasers would not have purchased the flats had it not been for the certificates.
Murfit was also disqualified from being a company director for seven years.
A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act will now take place next year after which Murfet’s companies will be sentenced. Lors Homes has already been placed into liquidation.
The court had heard how the certificates were supplied to purchasers of flats in the complex as part of the conveyancing process.
Trading Standards were alerted in 2019 by West Suffolk Council Building Control.
The certificates were similar to those issued by Building Control but had not been issued by them.
The certificates were supplied to the purchasers by their own solicitors, who in turn had received them via the developer’s solicitors.
The buyers then purchased their properties believing them to have been signed off.
Since this discovery, West Suffolk Building Control inspected and found breaches of building regulations and fire safety concerns with the building.
As a result, a 24-hour waking watch had to be installed in the building.
The court heard the building had since been sold by the developer and West Suffolk Building Control was collaborating with the new owners to have things put right so that it meets building regulations.
During the investigation it then emerged a further false building control completion certificate had been supplied by Murfet to a purchaser of a property in Cambridgeshire through another company of his called Murfet (Burrough Green) Limited.
Murfet, aged 41, of Freckenham Road, Chippenham, had denied 12 lead counts of dishonestly intending to make a gain by failing to disclose information to the purchaser which he was under a legal duty to disclose, namely that building works had not been certified as complete by Building Control of West Suffolk Council contrary to section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006.
He also denied two counts of making or supplying an article for use in fraud contrary to section 7 of the Fraud Act 2006.
Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, said:
“Wayne Murfet’s actions caused significant distress to the purchasers of the flats, who had no idea the certificates they received were not genuine and that their properties had not been signed off.
“Murfet’s behaviour caused substantial loss to the purchasers and created a significant risk to people’s safety and property.”
Councillor Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said:
“Building regulations are there to protect the public and Wayne Murfet chose to ignore those regulations.
“He is now paying the price and I commend the diligence and hard work of Suffolk Trading Standards in him being brought to justice following what was a complex investigation.”
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